Sliding into winter adventure

Sliding into winter adventure

Photograph by: Coast Mountain Photography
, Tourism Whistler

Whistler’s visitor bobsleigh and skeleton experience is a once-in-a-lifetime thrill.

Forget about boring crazy carpets, wooden sleds and that little snow-covered hill in your backyard. The Whistler Sliding Centre (WSC) is the only place on the planet where you’ll find the ultimate, white-knuckled sliding experience. From Dec. 1 to March 31, visitors to Whistler get to feel the adrenaline-fuelled thrill of rocketing down the very same track used during bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

“Both the bobsleigh and skeleton visitor experiences start with an orientation of the sport, helmet fitting, and gear familiarization where basically staff teach you everything you need to know to safely enjoy the sport,” said Melissa Janke of Whistler Sport Legacies, the organization that oversees Whistler's 2010 Winter Games Venues.

For the skeleton program, you’ll be laying on your stomach for a headfirst solo slide that’ll have you reaching speeds of up to 100 kilometres and hour.

“The Whistler Sliding Centre is the only place in Canada where you can experience skeleton as an amateur,” said Janke.

For the bobsleigh program, you and two other participants climb into a four-man sled with a professional pilot for the ride of your lives.

“You can reach speeds up to 120 to 130 kilometres and hour,” said Janke. “That’s pretty fast. And you have to remember that the sliding centre is also a full-time training venue. So you don’t just get to experience the same track used during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, but a high-level athlete could have just trained on the track before your run.”

Your friends and family can also come to watch your high-speed slide – free of charge!

“It’s always free to come to the centre and watch,” said Janke. “It’s a great way to check it out and see if you want to try either of the sports.”

The two-hour programs usually run $159 plus tax per person, but the venue is hosting a Fast Food: Skeleton Slide for Hunger event on December 10 with tickets running only $56 and all proceeds going to support area food banks.

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